Kingston, ON – The Mustangs Women's Lacrosse team came from behind in the gold medal game to win their eight OUA Championship in program history on Sunday evening.

"To win is such a rewarding experience, it reflects all of our hard work, not just today but throughout the entire season," said Mustangs Midfielder Lexie Delisle "We had one goal this season and we did it! We kept our composure and played as a team which contributed to our success,"

The Mustangs triumphed over the host Queen's Gaels by a score of 9-6 to take the Patterson Cup.

Queen's held a 3-2 lead at halftime, Quinn Kolwich & Delisle scored the Mustangs pair of goals.

While the Gaels lead the majority of the first three quarters, the fourth belonged to Western. Queen's was unable to find the net and the Mustangs built up their momentum. Western tied up the game with Reese Whiteman finding the back of the net. They pushed into the lead with Whiteman and Timmia Bomberry nabbing goals as well. The Gaels were unable to respond and, with one final goal from Kolwich, the Mustangs clinched the gold medal.

"Throughout the season we've been dreaming of this and working towards it and to fulfil our goals is a great feeling." said Delisle "We worked hard for this, and we came out on top."

The win marks the first OUA Women's Lacrosse gold for Western since 2017. The Mustangs had wins of 15-3 over Guelph & 18-3 over McMaster to get into medal contention, they beat Toronto 13-4 in the semi-final to earn a berth in to the gold medal game.

"Most of this group has been a part of three bronze medal finishes. They struggled to get past the last three semi-final games over the last 4 years," said Mustangs Head Coach Garrett Loubert "They expected the most out of each other and more from the coaching staff each and every day at practice. They weren't satisfied until they won tonight. Credit to them for stepping up when it mattered the most."

Loubert was named 2023 OUA Coach of the Year at the post-tournament ceremony.

"It's hard to put into words, I try to be the best I can for this group. I'm so proud to be a part of this team, it's a nice cherry on top of the win but It's a group effort," said Loubert "A huge shoutout to my assistant coaches (Sam Intravauno, Gene Loubert (my dad) and Bobby Keast) were all so instrumental in the success we had this year."

A trio of Mustangs were also recognized as OUA All-Stars for their outstanding performances. Reese Wilkins (Attack), Lexie Delisle (Mid-Field) & Taya Keast (Defender).

Major Award Winners
Most Valuable Offensive Player: Abby Lee, Queen's Gaels
Most Valuable Defensive Player: Kieran Gerow, Trent Excalibur
Rookie of the Year: Tyler McDonald, Trent Excalibur
Coach of the Year: Garrett Loubert, Western Mustangs

OUA All-Stars
Attackers (3)
Reese Wilkins, Western Mustangs
Rheanna Swanson, Toronto Varsity Blues
Tara Meikle, Queen's Gaels

Mid-Fielders (5)
Abby Lee, Queen's Gaels
Jailyn Joensen, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Grace Shaughnessy, Trent Excalibur
Lexie Delisle, Western Mustangs
Kendra Orr, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks

Defenders (3)
Kaya Maracle, Queen's Gaels
Taya Keast, Western Mustangs
Leah Hickey, Toronto Varsity Blues

Goalie (1)
Kieran Gerow, Trent Excalibur